Royal family Christmas cards 2020: photos of William, Kate, Charles and Camilla revealed - where will they spend Xmas?

This year has been particularly challenging for the royal family, with media attention around every aspect of their private lives.

While William and Kate continue to be applauded for their efforts to engage with the public, for other members of the royal family, 2020 may well be a year they would rather forget.

When Harry and Meghan broke away and moved stateside in early 2020, there was criticism and shock from fans of the royals.

Following this, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall received harsh criticism when interest was sparked after the release of the fourth season of Netflix drama, The Crown.

The royal Christmas cards have now been revealed, hinting at how the families might be spending Christmas this year. Here’s what we know.

What are William and Kate’s Christmas cards like this year?

On 16 December, Wills and Kate were the first of the family to share their Christmas card photo - a royal tradition.

The pair posed alongside their three children - George, Charlotte and Louis - in a smiling group shot taken by photographer Matt Porteous at their Norfolk country mansion, Anmer Hall.

The 2020 picture shows Prince William’s brood dressed in jumpers and denims, and perched on a bale of hay with a large woodpile in the background.

In contrast, the Cambridge’s card in 2019 was taken in the summer with a khaki motorbike and sidecar. William was in a shirt while Kate and Charlotte were in dresses.

The family have spent the majority of 2020 at their Norfolk home, as they home-schooled George, seven, and Charlotte, five, throughout the pandemic.

The couple sent a copy of their card to the NHS, including a handwritten note which read: “To all the amazing NHS staff. We can never thank you enough for the dedication and sacrifices you have had to make this year. We will be forever grateful," - signed “William” and “Catherine”.

In a rare public appearance, the couple visited the London Palladium in early December to watch a special pantomime, followed by a surprise video on their Instagram account in which they thanked NHS workers for their commitment to saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic.

What about the photos of Prince Charles and Camilla?

The heir to the British throne has made significant changes to the format and sharing of his official Christmas card for 2020.

In 2019, The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall shared a picture from their tour of the Carribean in Havana, Cuba, which featured them waving from their open-top car.

In stark contrast, their 2020 card took a more quintessentially British approach.

Charles, 72, and his wife, 73, have released their 2020 card with a snap of them in the gardens of their Scottish home, Birkhall, in Aberdeenshire.

They are pictured sat on a bench surrounded by flowers, and dressed in smart-casual tailored blazers, with Camilla in jeans.

It would have been unlikely the couple would have published a photo from abroad this year, given coronavirus restrictions and Charles’ experience with the illness in June.

Most notably, the couple chose not to allow comments on the Twitter post of their card - potentially due to the coverage of the royals in fiction-drama, The Crown.

They chose to restrict comments at the beginning of December, as some broke the Clarence House rules for abusive comments following the release of season 4 of the Netflix drama which covered the tumultuous relationship between Charles and Diana.

However, the couple have allowed comments on their Instagram account, attracting 85,000 likes and 1,600 comments in 12 hours.

Will Harry and Meghan release a Christmas card?

Following a year of controversy for the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it is not yet known whether there will be a Christmas card published by the couple in 2020.

Harry announced on 31 March 2020 he would be stepping down from his royal duties to enjoy a more peaceful life, instead of being followed by the media.

He has previously been vocal about not wanting to raise his son in the public eye.

The pair have now settled state-side to raise baby Archie, and recently shared that Meghan miscarried in the summer.

The couple also hit headlines in July when Meghan lost her case against The Mail on Sunday for invasion of privacy, after the publisher shared a private letter from her estranged father.

How will the royals celebrate Christmas in 2020?

It is not thought that the royal family will be seen linking arms on their way to Saint Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham this Christmas.

Instead, the Queen and Prince Philip will celebrate on 26 December at Windsor Castle.

They announced in a statement: “Having considered all the appropriate advice, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have decided that this year they will spend Christmas quietly in Windsor.

“The Queen and the duke are fortunate to spend Christmas with their family every year.

“They understand that their family will have competing demands over the Christmas period and are content to have a quiet festive season this year.”

Meanwhile, Charles and Camilla will enjoy a smaller Christmas than the usual Windsor family are used to, opting to celebrate at their home, Highgrove House in Gloucester.

William commented to well-wishers on a recent visit to Wales that he and Kate were “still trying to make plans.”

He added: "It's difficult to know what to do for the best.”

It is widely believed that they will spend Christmas at Anmer Hall.